


Hey Soul Sister

by gracethescribbler



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Clone Cadets, Cute Kids, Force Sensitive Cody, Force-Sensitive Clones (Star Wars), Gen, Genderbending, Genderbent Clones, Good Parent Jango Fett, Hot Chocolate, Hurt/Comfort, Pranks and Practical Jokes, i'm sorry about the title i have no ideas, it's all fun and games until someone gets decommissioned, names are important
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:07:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24756031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gracethescribbler/pseuds/gracethescribbler
Summary: CC-2224 has superpowers. They're very secret superpowers, and she only has one other sister who has the same powers. Her name is Sev, and everything is going just great until a prank goes wrong and it turns out that clones aren't supposed to have the Force. Luckily, Mama Jango comes to the rescue. Just a little too late.
Relationships: CC-2224 | Cody & CT-7567 | Rex, CC-2224 | Cody & Jango Fett, Jango Fett & Clone Troopers
Comments: 5
Kudos: 45





	Hey Soul Sister

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ProwlingThunder](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProwlingThunder/gifts).



> For some reason this fic kind of kicked my ass trying to write it, plus I had some mental health nonsense and the loss of a friend and all kinds of other drama happening while it was in progress, but it's done! I've been wanting to write genderbent clones for a little while now, and since @prowlingthunder requested it, I got to write it! Force-sensitive Cody slipped in there too, and now it's just a whole thing.
> 
> Sev is an original clone character that belongs to myself and @skywalking-across-the-galaxy and I wanted to use him/her for this story. There are some Mando'a translations in the end notes.
> 
> (Additionally, I'm wanting to do more things with this idea, potentially - if anyone has suggestions on if I should change Rex's name to something else or leave it alone I would greatly appreciate it, because names in genderbending fics are a Pain.)

Sev was late.

It was already past 0200 in the morning, and they were supposed to pull a prank on their trainer - CT-7567 had opted out of the idea, said that she thought they’d get in too much trouble for it to be worth it, but _Sev_ was smart and had tapped her temple and said _not with our powers, little sister._ ‘67 still grouchily refused to help. But CC-2224 was going to, and it would be hilarious.

CC-2224 didn’t have a name yet. She knew she would get one, when she was older and either her trainers or her _buir_ decided she had earned one - names, _buir_ said, were important, and not to be chosen lightly. Sev had chosen her own name already, short for CC-7777, and as a result was treated like an _ori’vod_ by most of the other cadets. So in this case, ‘24 felt alright taking her word over ‘67’s - sometimes CT-7567 was too cautious.

Because ‘24 and Sev had a kind of _superpower._ No one else knew about it, they were sure, as they’d sworn each other and ‘67 to secrecy. They didn’t even tell _buir_ \- even though you could tell _buir_ anything, and she’d always told them they only had to come to her and she’d help them with whatever they needed. Some things were too serious to be told to _buir_.

‘24 and Sev could sometimes know things before they happened, sometimes move things with their minds, and Sev was especially good at the latter, which was excellent for pranks. ‘67 didn’t have the superpower, and she was jealous, ‘24 thought. But it didn’t matter. CT-7567 was still ‘24’s best sister, her _ori’vod,_ even if she _was_ stupid. She had blond hair because of a genetic mutation, and so the Kaminoans had debated for some time over whether to keep ‘67 at all. Thankfully, _buir_ had stepped in and told them that there was nothing at all the matter with ‘67 and she would do just as well as the other cadets. They’d still demoted ‘67 to CT class. But CC-2224 always told her that they’d prove everyone wrong about her.

(That didn’t stop ‘67 from trying to dye her hair black, once, like the rest of them, but she got more in trouble for that botched idea. ‘24 had determined that she would make sure everyone else understood that ‘67 was just as good as the other CCs, maybe even better.)

Just as ‘24 was beginning to believe that Sev wasn’t going to show up, her batchmate came careening around the corner into the armory where ‘24 had been waiting, and her face split into a pleased grin. “Sorry!” she called, reaching up to push stray strands of hair out of her face - she wasn’t very good at putting her hair up, and so it always fell around her eyes. She always said she’d shave it all off when the Kaminoans couldn’t stop her anymore. “I almost got caught by one of the cleaning droids and I had to hide.”

‘24 shook her head, smiling. “Let’s just hurry up, Sev.”

They planned to spook one of the trainers who had been particularly demanding lately - Sev said they could hover things over his bunk and make him think there were ghosts. Most of the trainers had their own small rooms, and Sev had carefully learned which belonged to the old Mandalorian trainer (who she called Commander Hardass but whose actual name was Commander Wren). ‘24 was in charge of unlocking the door to let them in, because she was better at that kind of thing, and once in the room they laid out a small pile of droid parts and armor pieces, which Sev planned to float around the room with her powers. “You go watch the door,” she told CC-2224. “If anyone’s coming in, throw this at the door.” She handed over a bright yellow piece of durasteel that had probably fallen off a droid. ‘24 wrapped her fingers around it, grinned, and stationed herself beside the door to the room, where she could easily make a break for it.

It was very quiet for a few minutes, while Sev was presumably hiding and collecting herself, then ‘24 could hear some muffled sound through the door that probably meant Sev had gone ahead and woken Commander Wren up.

She was more sure when she heard a string of swear words and a loud thump, and she crouched more and covered her mouth with her hands, giggling. For a moment she was very still and listened to some swearing, a clattering, and since the hallways were empty, ‘24 felt safe enough to laugh quietly to herself.

Then, abruptly, there was a familiar shriek of alarm, and ‘24’s eyes widened. Damn. She glanced around, then at the door, and took a few steps back. Things had gotten alarmingly quiet - Sev must have been found hiding under Commander Wren’s bunk. Damn it, damn it, damn it. They hadn’t made a plan for this eventuality, so when ‘24 finally heard first Commander Wren’s scolding voice, and then his heavy footsteps toward the door, she made a calculated decision and made a break for it.

She pelted down several hallways, twisting and turning frequently, before running smack into Nala Se, who peered down at her with that blank longneck stare and said, “Hello, CC-2224,” with an edge of amusement coloring her serene voice. “You’re supposed to be in your sleeping pod.”

‘24 couldn’t come up with the right thing to say - she wasn’t like Sev, she didn’t have clever lies and stories to tell, so she crossed her arms and stuck out her chin. “I couldn’t sleep,” she tried.

Nala Se’s eyebrow ridge arched slowly up, her mouth curving up too in almost a smile. “Is that so?” she asked, and ‘24 wished she could have come up with a better lie.

Before she could try again, she heard Commander Wren’s footsteps again, and around the corner he marched, hauling Sev by her uniform collar. ‘24 looked at Sev’s disgruntled face, Commander Wren’s glower, and Nala Se’s slow smile, and swore quietly under her breath.

They were frog-marched back to bed, both of them, and in the morning while the rest of their batch ate breakfast, they were taken to the offices where the most important longneck officials did all their work, people like Lama Su and Uralei To. They were in charge of the entire clone army - that’s what the trainers said, anyway. The scientists like Nala Se had to do what the official longnecks decided.

And they spent most of the morning talking to Sev.

CC-2224 was relegated to sitting in a plastoid chair with her hands folded, although she wanted to be fiddling with her hair. But _buir_ always said that being able to control how people thought about you could be good, so she left it alone in the perfect regulation bun at the nape of her neck and folded her fingers together.

They didn’t talk to ‘24 for a long time.

Then, suddenly, two of the cloning facility guards came marching down the hall, and the door to one of the offices opened, and Lama Su nudged Sev out the door. Sev looked as pale as the longnecks themselves, but she didn’t look at ‘24 as the guards took her arms and propelled her down the hallway.

‘24 leapt to her feet and took hurried steps forward. “Sev?” she said, quickly. “Sev, what’s going on?”

Sev looked at her, swallowed, and then looked away again.

A cool, long-fingered hand landed on ‘24’s shoulder, and she flinched, tugging away from Lama Su and his terrible, still face. “No,” she said, quickly. “I don’t want to talk to you.” She had an awful, awful feeling, way down in her stomach, which she thought was her powers. Something was wrong. Worse than just getting in trouble for a prank. “Where are you taking Sev?”

“Don’t concern yourself.” Lama Su waved one hand, pulling her towards his office. “I need to talk to you as well, CC-2224.”

‘24 stared at the Kaminoan, then abruptly spun on her heel, slammed her elbow into Lama Su’s leg, and sprinted down the hall after Sev.

She wasn’t sure which way the guards had gone, and she made several wrong turns before she figured out where she could feel Sev ahead of her, and turned a corner to find the guards getting into one of the lifts. Sev, who looked like she might cry, and had pulled her hands up into the sleeves of her red cadet uniform.

“Sev!” ‘24 shouted, pushing herself to run so fast, although her legs burned and she knew she wasn’t quick enough. But maybe she would be close. She could use her powers, even - she could stop the doors from closing, she could knock over the guards and take her friend back, something. She reached one hand out, trying to think of the guards crashing to the floor and Sev coming back alright.

Then suddenly a strong arm caught her around the chest, winding her a little, and she struggled and kicked without thinking until she heard _buir’s_ voice, hoarse and soft. _“Udesii, ad’ika,”_ she said, and ‘24 choked on a half-sob as the lift doors closed.

“No!” The awful feeling threatened to swallow everything, cold and black and frightening. Something horrible was going to happen to Sev. “Put me down, _buir,_ put me down!”

Jango Fett only held on tighter, put another arm around ‘24. “I’m sorry,” she said, in the gruff way she had, regretful. “‘24, I need you to calm down. What have I told you? Deep breaths. It’s not safe.”

“Leave me _alone.”_ ‘24 shook her head and wriggled against Jango’s grasp, but her _buir_ didn’t let go, and after a long moment she shivered and was still, so that Jango would put her down. Then, swallowing, she turned to look at her _buir,_ whose eyes were very serious and sad.

“Let’s go back to my room, _ad’ika,”_ Jango said, gently. She wasn’t in her armor, like she usually was, only a simple blue uniform, with her curly black hair down around her shoulders. ‘24 didn’t like this. But she nodded, because you didn’t ignore _buir,_ and because maybe she would explain what was happening.

They went back to Jango’s quarters. Her rooms were small and simple, for her and their _vod’ika_ Boba, but they always smelled strongly of spices and candles that _buir_ had brought from Mandalore. In her rooms, she kept warm cushions and blankets, and many miserable cadets had come back from afternoons with Jango talking about long talks cuddled in blankets and sipping spicy hot chocolate. CT-7567 had gotten to go to Jango’s rooms for a talk after she was demoted for her genetic defect, and ‘24 had been jealous. But now she only wished that Jango had no reason at all to invite her to her room.

Jango sat ‘24 down on a tiny stuffed brown couch, and brought her an earthen mug of the coveted spicy hot chocolate, but the drink didn’t seem to taste like anything at all. ‘24 wanted to cry, and she knew it was alright to cry, but she felt as though it would be embarrassing to cry in front of _buir._ But Sev was gone, and everything felt so cold, although the mug warmed her fingers.

“‘24,” Jango said, in the slow, careful way she had when she was trying to tell the cadets something very important, “Commander Wren explained to the Kaminoans that your friend Sev was somehow hovering metal and plastoid pieces in the air without touching them. Sev told the Kaminoans this was something she just knew how to do and that it was a special trick.” Jango considered ‘24 a moment, who found herself almost frightened and had to look away. “That’s why they took Sev away, ‘24, because she knew something she wasn’t supposed to.”

‘24 swallowed and glanced at her _buir_ again. The powers they had weren’t supposed to belong to them? It was a mistake? Suddenly, ‘24 thought she understood why CT-7567 had been so upset about her hair. It didn’t feel good to be _wrong,_ defective. Was _buir_ going to report her?

Jango put a hand on ‘24’s shoulder. “‘24,” she said, quietly, “what Sev could do was called using the Force. Like the _jetiise_ do.”

‘24’s stomach dropped all the way into her toes and stayed there, and she stared at Jango, feeling unable to move. The _Force._ They’d begun to learn about that in their flash training, and from their teachers - how the Jedi could move things with their mind, or read other people’s minds. It was going to be their job, the trainers said, to keep up with Jedi.

Shouldn’t it have been good that Sev had the Force like a Jedi? So she could keep up better? But they took her away because of it instead.

‘24 tried to drink more of her hot chocolate, but it just burned her tongue and she scowled and rubbed her hands over her face. “Why did they take Sev, then? That’s not bad,” she asked.

Jango took a deep breath, tucking some of her hair behind her ear, and ‘24 thought she looked exhausted. In fact, she’d never seen her _buir_ so tired. “‘24,” she said, “you know that they don’t like you to be different.”

‘24 nodded. All her batchmates had talked about it many times. Jango had talked to them about it before, too. Other trainers told them they had to be one cohesive unit, they had to be the same so they worked well together, they had to be equals. _Jango_ told them that the longnecks were afraid of how strong they could be if they were different. Maybe that explained it. Sev had frightened the longnecks.

You didn’t want to do that.

“Is she- going to be decommissioned?” ‘24 asked. That word tasted so sour, and made the air feel colder.

“Yes.”

‘24 felt tears gathering behind her eyes, and she wrapped her arms tightly around herself. Not Sev. Not her friend, her batchmate, the one who seemed to know _everything._ What was ‘24 going to do if she wasn’t around?

“You’re not, though.” Jango said this so low and gentle and conspiratorial that ‘24 believed her. “‘24, you have it too, don’t you. The Force.”

‘24 froze. “No.”

“I’m not going to tell anyone.” Jango reached over and smoothed her hand over ‘24’s hair, fingers brushing down curly flyaways and the messy parts of ‘24’s bun. “But you can’t tell anyone either.”

‘24 wanted to deny everything again on principle, but when she looked at _buir,_ she could tell that she was being honest. She shifted in her seat on the couch, scooting back into the cushions, and swallowed. “I… I didn’t think it was a big deal, _buir,_ we weren’t supposed to get caught.” Of course she and Sev hadn’t told anyone besides ‘67, but mostly because they were proud of their secret and proud of how they were the only ones who knew. (And perhaps, too, any time ‘24 had thought she might tell someone else, she’d felt something like a warning, a disquieted sort of nausea, until she decided not to share. Whenever she’d sensed her powers- or the Force, apparently- she’d known to listen.)

Jango turned towards ‘24 and settled one hand on ‘24’s shoulder, warm and steady. She met her eyes, an intensity to her that ‘24 wanted to hang onto. _“Ad’ika,”_ she said, quietly, “you are a smart, strong, brave girl. I am proud of you. And it is not bad to have the Force. But it’s dangerous for you, and I want you to be safe. People won’t understand, especially not these longneck scientists.” She smiled, which helped, although the smile was uneven.

‘24 swallowed and lifted her chin. She would be brave. She _would._ And she wouldn’t tell anyone. “I won’t tell, _buir._ I promise.” She hesitated. “I… already told CT-7567, though.”

Jango smiled a little wider. “I’m not surprised. You just make sure that ‘67 knows not to tell anyone either.”

‘24 nodded, and looked down. She tried again to sip her chocolate. It still tasted like nothing at all.

The same tears she’d been fighting so hard were warm in the corners of her eyes, and she tried to wipe them without _buir_ noticing, but her lip quivered and her throat was beginning to hurt, and she swallowed as hard as she could and looked at Jango again. “So… Sev is not coming back?”

She wished she sounded braver, and not so small. But her voice was so shaky, all of a sudden.

“No, _ner’verd’ika._ I’m sorry, ‘24. She’s gone.”

‘24 buried her face in one hand, shivering. Sev gone. It wasn’t possible. It wasn’t _real._ A few tears slipped past her eyelids, hot on her fingertips, and she sniffled, feeling cold and sick. Her other hand was too shaky on her mug, so it was almost a relief when Jango took the mug away from her and then quietly put both arms around her and pulled her into her lap. “It’s okay,” she said, gently, pulling ‘24 close enough that everything began to feel warmer again. “It’s okay, Cody, you’ll be alright. Remember what I taught you?”

It took ‘24 a moment to understand what her _buir_ was talking about, but there had been a very serious talk one day, with their class of cadets. Jango had been telling them about what to do if you lost someone, if a sister died. _You say all of their names,_ she said, _so you never forget._

So ‘24 shifted and cleared her throat, which was tight, and choked out, “Sev. _Nu- nu kyr'adyc, shi…”_ She couldn’t remember the last part of the phrase, so Jango smoothed a hand over her hair.

 _“Taab'echaaj'la,”_ she said, and ‘24 repeated.

_Not gone, merely marching far away._

“She is gone, though,” she whispered, almost hoping Jango didn’t hear her.

“I know,” Jango said, and pulled back a little. “But she is happy somewhere now.”

‘24 hoped her _buir_ was right. She sat quietly for a moment, mulling over the conversation and the evening and trying not to cry anymore, and even took a sip of her hot chocolate that tasted good instead of like mud. Then, something occurred to her, and she looked up at Jango, whose eyes looked suspiciously red too. _“Buir,”_ she said, “What was that word you called me? Cody?”

 _Buir_ laughed, shaking her head as if at herself. “It’s a name, _ad’ika._ I didn’t mean to, it just slipped out. You don’t have to use that name at all if you don’t want to.”

‘24 felt a sudden, almost painful, rush of warmth right through her chest and face, embarrassment and excitement and confusion. Did _buir_ really just give her a name? A whole name, all for herself? She rubbed her neck, tried to fix her hair, and tried the name out. “Cody.” Then, she grinned shyly at Jango. “I like it.” She was almost afraid to say it. Could she really have a name, just like that?

“Perfect,” _buir_ said, and then, also smiling, she patted ‘24 on the back and gave her a stern look. “Well, then, you should get on back to your classes, Cody, and talk to your friend ‘67. Be careful.”

‘24- no, _Cody,_ she was _Cody,_ grinned so wide it hurt her cheeks and slid off the couch. For a moment, everything hurt less. “Yes, sir,” she said, and took off out of Jango’s rooms.

She couldn’t wait to tell CT-7567. And they would find ‘67 a name too, because everyone needed a name. It felt so good to have a name.

And she would never tell anyone about the Force again. She and ‘67 would keep it secret, and at least that way nothing would ever happen to them like what had happened to Sev.

**Author's Note:**

> Mando'a Translations:  
> \- buir: mom/dad  
> \- vod: brother/sister  
> \- ori'vod: either big brother/sister or best brother/sister, depending on context  
> \- udesii: Calm down  
> \- ad'ika: child/kid  
> \- vod'ika: little brother/sister  
> \- jetiise: Jedi (plural)  
> \- ner'verd'ika: my little warrior  
> \- Nu kyr'adyc, shi taab'echaaj'la. - Not gone, merely marching far away. Mandalorian phrase to remember the dead.  
> (Note: Mando'a nouns don't have gendered cases.)


End file.
